Think About It - week 2
Respond to this post after you have spent at least one full week at your internship. If you like, start your comment with a few sentences summarizing your tasks so far. Devote the remainder of your response to this "thinking assignment":
Choose an adult who works with you at your internship. This might be your mentor, but it may be someone else at your work site. Discover the official title of the job he or she holds. Write a short paragraph about the day-to-day tasks you observe this person doing. Include your opinion about the level of satisfaction he or she seems to derive from the job. You may base your opinion on your own observations and/or on conversations with the person you are observing. Is this satisfaction intrinsic to the job itself or related more to job environment, co-workers, etc.? Is it, perhaps, most related to the person's outlook on life?
In your last paragraph, consider briefly whether this job is something you could imagine yourself doing as career. As you justify your answer, are you at all surprised by what you "hear yourself saying"? Do you think your answer would be the same if this job were located elsewhere (i.e. in a different city or a different type of business).
Don't forget to come back and read your fellow interns' comments throughout the coming week and comment on at least two of them. Remember to keep your comments positive and supportive. (Problems and concerns should be addressed to me by phone or email.) Be sure to check back later to answer any questions others may have posed for you. This is an interactive forum.
This is Charlotte Cunningham working at a veterinary clinic. I have many different "tasks", mostly related to observing/watching, and occasionally helping out. For example, I am allowed to watch surgeries being performed and come in to appointments. Occasionally, the doctor/technician may ask me to pass over a test tube or comfort/hold/feed a dog a treat.
ReplyDeleteBesides for the veterinarians, a significant job being performed is working as a technician. One good way to think about a technician is that they are like a nurse. They aren't the main ones to diagnose or do the overall exam, but they can perform treatments like blood work, provide fluids, prepare vaccinations, and anything else that doesn't require the full training that a doctor has. On a typical day, there are about 10-15 technicians working at a time and they are all super sweet and friendly and are eager to answer questions. I would say the "level of satisfaction" is really dependent on the day and tasks ahead of them. For example, if a nice Labrador comes in or a cute, small fluffy dog comes in that is well-behaved, you're set for a really nice experience. However, if an aggressive dog comes in, your experience may be otherwise. I have noticed that the technicians have a very nice community and are very friendly with each other. All in all, the satisfaction is both based on enjoyment of the job and "environment", particularly animals you must work with. It's also as good as you make it.
This job is typically performed by college/veterinary students who are working towards being a veterinarian as they have some training, but don't have the full amount of training. So if I end up on the path to receiving veterinary education, I will most likely wind up working as a technician. The main reason I am surprised that I say this is honestly simply based on the fact of what I know now from working. What I mean by this is before this job I wouldn't have fully known the role of technicians and their importance and that for most of them, being a vet is their end goal. I definitely think that the work environment and surrounding people/pets are important in the case of whether or not I would like the job if located elsewhere.
I noticed a similar phenomenon in my internship. Like the veterinary techs you describe, the lab techs in university labs are often graduate students who are looking to gain experience for a relatively short period of time before moving on to bigger things.
DeleteAlthough technicians complete mundane tasks when compared to doctors, they seem to be eager and happy, which is important because without technicians, a clinic could not run. It is interesting to learn that most technicians are in that position before becoming a vet.
DeleteI think you have some good insights, Charlotte. Having a community at work can make even truly onerous tasks bearable, and I know there are some onerous tasks involved with being a vet. I wonder how much the personalities of the pet owners contribute to the technicians' satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI am at AFAC and I have a really healthy internship where half the day I am up in the office doing some computer/administrative tasks (the long term one is updating the food pantry directory for places outside Arlington) or helping with the warehouse (mostly home delivery program). I have also just really enjoyed the volunteer work of distributing food and getting a lot of spanish speaking in.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor's name is Kayla, and she is the director of client services. She does a lot of speaking on the phone or in person with the clients and making sure they are properly satisfied with the service AFAC has to offer them. She oversees the home delivery program, which has volunteers to drive their grocery orders to their house, and manages it in a super efficient manner. She is happy with her job, as she gets to give back to the community, contribute to a company that she is passionate about, go to work with coworkers she likes, and make a living on it. I would say she gets a healthy mix of the job and the people around her that make AFAC a good work environment. I also got to speak to the head of the Development team at AFAC, Jolie, and she came from a sales background in IT. What she told me about her motivation to work at this NGO is she is able to perform a task that she is good at, while contributing to a program near and dear to her heart. She told me she doesn't work, she comes to AFAC and does her tasks, pretty much from the saying if you love what you do, then you never work a day in your life. Everyone there is really connected to one another.
I am just gonna answer the question as if someone asked me "would you work at an NGO when you're older?" Honestly I still have no idea, I do know I want to have a career in a field where I can give back to the community in a meaningful manner. Developing a tool (such as GIS) is less cool to me than actually applying the tool to a project and using my critical thinking skills to solve practical/real world problems. I am not sure if I would do an NGO particularly because I want to do something abroad in the world of foreign affairs through the government, and maybe a little bit less hands on, but who knows!
It's awesome that you get practice speaking Spanish! It seems great to develop your language skills while also doing something you really like.
DeleteYour internship seems great and you are positively impacting the community! It’s nice that you are truly passionate about the work you do.
DeleteAlso good insights, Eli. It sounds as though Kayla is a good example of "Do what you love; love what you do." The intrinsic satisfaction of doing her job is more important than some other considerations.
DeleteGoing off of others posts, it's really important when you are finding a job to make sure that it is something you love so it feels like an enjoyable hobby, not just work, particularly since you'll be spending so much time there. Also, connecting to the papers we received at PRIME, it's all about the balance between finding something that you enjoy, allows you to live a comfortable lifestyle, and is convenient for you.
DeleteIt's great that you are enjoying your internship while giving back to the community, which is something you are passionate about!
DeleteI agree that having a positive impact on others is really important to the work that you do.
DeleteI am glad that you are finding enjoyment in helping others!
DeleteI am at PBS NewsHour Classroom for my internship. The days are really different, but overall I think I have been given a lot of responsibilities. I have written Daily News Lessons, published them on the website (after the necessary editing), published them on Social Media through Loomly, sat in on meetings with all of PBS, wrote a bio, read some of a book in preparation to interview the author, and edited old lessons on the website to be more technologically advanced.
ReplyDeleteOne adult that works with me at the internship is the Editor-in-Chief for PBS NewsHour Classroom. Day-to-day work includes being in meetings with PBS a lot of the time, interviews with teachers about the website, posts on Social Media, and organizing the work for the interns to do. From my observations, she derives some satisfaction whenever a Social Media post does well. She also seems to like who she works with; she is always complimenting the interns. However, a major disappointment for her has been the lack of funding that PBS NewsHour Classroom gets compared to PBS NewsHour. I cannot see myself having this job because of this drawback. I am not too surprised by what I "hear myself saying" because I know that this PBS NewsHour Classroom editor does not feel appreciated. If the job were located in a different place with a more supportive environment (and more funding), I would be much more inclined to take the job.
This seems like a very interesting place to work. Hopefully things change in the future and you could work for them or another similar company!
DeleteAn employee’s level of satisfaction is highly dependent on the company’s environment. Your internship will prepare you for future employment and help you make informed decisions about your future career!
DeleteFeeling un- or under-appreciated can be a real joy-killer in any situation, but especially on a daily job. Even though we can say that money is not important, it really is the way we demonstrate appreciation and someone's relative importance in this country.
DeleteYour internship seems really interesting and busy since you always have something to do and have a lot of responsibilities. I can understand how a lack of funding can be a major drawback for a job such as this since you need that in order to be able to provide the best content for the viewers as well as employees.
DeleteThis sounds like a really great experience! Having variety of activities day-to-day keeps it interesting.
DeleteSo far, my time at Green Powered Technology has comprised mostly of reading proposals, articles, resumes, and other documents in order to learn all about the company and what they do. In addition to this, I have completed some other tasks including reformatting employee's resumes and creating a powerpoint.
ReplyDeleteThe adult I have picked for this is a man named Mr. Fraser. His official title is "Director of Sustainable Development". Now, his work is mostly to contact those on the ground in the nations that Green Powered Technology works with. He is often on video calls with the teams of employees in various countries, developing rapport with them as well as managing the strategy the home office takes to work with them. He places a great deal of trust in the expertise of the local partners and is enthusiastic to hear their suggestions about how things should be run, saying that they "bring reality to the table". I think that seeing his style of leadership has been an effective lesson about how to best manage people and expectations. I asked Mr. Fraser questions about the company's aims in the country, and he certainly seemed intrinsically satisfied in his work as well as well versed in all of the nuances the company must navigate with the project.
I could certainly see myself working at a job like this one. Every employee has been exceptionally welcoming towards me, and the work they engage in is highly interesting and relevant to the modern world.
You raise another important point about job satisfaction, Marcus: Is my work relevant? Being able to answer that affirmatively makes it much more likely that someone will enjoy their job.
DeleteYour internship seems really interesting and informative since you get to learn a lot about the company and the field. I also think it's good that you've been able to find a good role model for leadership in the workplace with Mr. Fraser.
DeleteGetting the experience to learn about the company and what the company does is all you could ask in an internship. It's super cool that your mentor helps you understand the aspects of all operations.
DeleteSo far, I am tasked with a research assignment that includes two parts. The first part is to research jobs in the IT world that are not technical in nature. Also, I am finding skill sets that are crucial to making a good team. The second part is to find security failures and assess the technical failures. Also, I am researching IT implementation. Since my internship is remote, I am unable to observe my mentor doing their job. However, I have asked him questions regarding the nature of his work to gain insight into his job. My mentor is currently doing a project with the Department of Defense in which he is the functional lead. He is utilizing a web development database to keep track of drug movements and seizures. His responsibilities include application testing, overseeing the schedule of development, and planning the release cycles. I believe my mentor is satisfied with his job based on the conversation I had with him. He enjoys working remotely and does a variety of tasks.
ReplyDeleteI could absolutely see myself in this career because it’s entirely remote. I love working from home and I am not surprised that I am liking my mentor’s job. Cybersecurity is closely related to computer science, which I am interested in. I believe my answer would be different if this job were not remote. My answer would depend on where the job is located because I wouldn’t want to leave my hometown. However, if I were offered a well-paying job in another state, I might consider moving. My decision would depend on the salary, the job location, and the nature of the work.
You have stated an important truth about yourself, Sara - that home is important to you and that you love working from home. Perhaps you already knew that, but it seems your PRIME experience is cementing it.
DeleteIt is an interesting experience to be able to see what working remote feels like. You have a unique experience to share as I believe the majority (if not all) of us are visiting the site we are working at, so you will have some interesting insights to share about not directly visiting the place you are working at.
DeleteI think you make a really good point about how the remote environment is something that makes the job more satisfying for you. I don't think thats something many people often consider when thinking about their ideal job but it's a good thing to realize.
DeleteI am working for State Farm at the Johno Steffen agency. The adult I am selecting is my Co-worker Bjanko. He is currently an office representative. The purpose of his job is to provide service to policyholders and assist the agent (Johno) in the growth of the agency. Some day to day responsibilities Bjanko has are, creating new sale opportunities with clients for auto, fire, life and health insurance, dealing with questions clients have in person, on the phone or over email, calling service to get answers to questions our licensed agents may have, quoting rates for insurance, doing simple tasks the licensed agents don't feel like doing, and the last, but most definitely the best part of his job is training me :). I would say he is not too satisfied with his job for a couple of reasons. We have a little bit of a hectic work environment because our boss can be a little unpredictable. He has to do a lot of annoying tasks and deal with a lot of annoying people that are angry about their insurance. Also he is really using this job as a stepping stone to gain money and experience so he can pursue what he actually enjoys in life.
ReplyDeleteI do not see myself doing this job in the future. It is not a very difficult job to get, so it is not very lucrative. Also you have to deal with a lot of frustrating uninformed people for hours a day wasting your time with stupid questions that have simple answers they could figure out on their own. That is something I couldn't deal with everyday. Giving clients quotes and getting information from clients is not too bad, but overall this is just not a job I could see myself doing. I don't think my answer would be different if my job was in a different location.
Considering money in a job is a fair argument, but satisfaction is so important too, so the fact you know this line of work has none of these and you know you do not like the job is an important experience. Finding you don't like something has a lot of valuable information in it.
DeleteI agree with what Eli said, Max, about the importance of job satisfaction. However, in dealing with people who ask "dumb questions," it might help to consider that although you may have heard the question multiple times, this is the first time the person on the phone has asked it. It's new to them.
DeleteThose seem like some hard names to memorize! But man, I always have those questions you couldn't live with everyday. Interesting how some people readily answer them and then there's you that doesn't want to deal with them.
DeleteI think it's a good point that dealing with irritating clients can take a toll on you, and for a lot of people the job just simply isn't worth it.
DeleteI have been working with a clinical psychologist with continuing my research from last year on addiction and its subsequent behavioral and neurological effects. I am doing a wellness project of my own where I am able to learn, to a minimal/moderate extent, how people cope with giving up something that they are addicted to. I also have integrated some wellness exercises that people often integrate into their daily lives. I also read some relevant articles that help me expand my knowledge on this topic. This week, I have started reading this book called Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction which is really interesting and offers additional, unique insight on the topic of addiction.
ReplyDeleteSince my internship is virtual, I only meet with my mentor once a week and do other tasks independently for the remainder of the week. My mentor is a behavioral psychologist and mental health specialist. I don’t see her carry out day-to-day tasks, but I do hear her talk about something that she might be doing that day, a clinic that she is doing, a retreat which she has done, etc. so I can get the jist of what her job entails. I think she is really satisfied with her job based on the way she talks about what she does. I think this satisfaction comes from a mix of being intrinsic, her outlook on life, and her job environment based on the way she talks about her job as well.
I think the research aspect of my internship is something I would do as a career because I genuinely enjoy every aspect of research, whether it is coming up with the idea, background information, or carrying out the methodology. I have been doing research similar to this for the past 2 years so I am not really surprised to hear what I am saying.
This is more of a question, but do you enjoy the greater independence you have in this internship? It sounds like good preparation for the actual workplace.
DeleteYou made some insightful comments about your mentor, Ambica. I wonder how you are enjoying your work in the lab. Is it another form of research or are you doing more routine tasks?
DeleteI do find it nice that you look at what you want and narrow down in the field you're pursuing to get a bit of both wants and a path already taken.
DeleteMy internship is at the Northern VA Conservation Trust. I chose my coworker Aaron. He is the Communications Coordinator at NVCT. His work involves mostly centers around making content to post on social media and putting out press releases, but he also has been working on writing a script for a commercial. To me Aaron seems very satisfied with his job. He is able to work remotely a lot of the time and stay at home with his kids, but also has also been very involved in leading staff meetings I have attended. He has a unique situation where he is at home a lot and only in the office a few days a week, but is still very connected to his coworkers. Aaron's happiness is probably most caused by his outlook on life. He is definitely a go getter. He learned web design for his job and spends his free time studying mixed martial arts, and he will even be competing in a judo tournament in the fall. He seems like someone who could easily make himself at home wherever he is.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think I would enjoy working in another part of the trust as a career, I don't think Aaron's job would be a fit for me. I don't know that I would be able to come up with creative ideas the way he does. I also don't think I could spend all of my job on a computer. i could see myself working in the land stewardship side of the organization as someone who goes out to survey land and write reports about a property. that way I could get some outdoor time mixed with being in an office.
Your coworker's job seems to interest me a lot. I like the aspect of working from home mostly and coming in for a few days for meetings.
DeleteIt does seem like Aaron greatly appreciates his job, making going to work even more satisfying. I agree with you that Aaron's job would not fit me; I prefer going to the work site to work.
DeleteYou have some important self-knowledge, Brian. Have you been able to get out into the field with NVCT?
DeleteYou have a very good idea of Aaron -- which is pretty impressive. I can also see why you would not want to have his job. Working on a screen all day, every day doesn't seem very appealing.
DeleteI am doing a Cybersecurity internship and since my mentor works remotely, my internship is also remote. I am tasked in making a presentation with two parts. Part 1 is finding jobs that are not technical in nature (not requiring knowledge in programming) in the world of IT. Part 2 is find security breaches and how the security failures could have been prevented. Part 2 is mostly about how the latest technology is not always the solution to very problem.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor is Ben, a Cybersecurity specialist and Programmer who works for Booz Allen Hamilton, an IT Consulting Company. Currently Ben is working on a project for the Department of Defense where he works on a web application database that keeps track of drug movements and seizures. Ben’s role is the Functional Lead on this project. His responsibilities are application testing, overseeing the schedule of development, and he is the point of contact with the client and user community, basically the person that talks to their client and users and communicates their needs back to his programmers. I believe that Ben is satisfied with the work that he does because in our first meeting he mentioned how he use to be a programmer and now he switched over to Cybersecurity to work for Booz Allen Hamilton.
I think I could see myself doing something related to Cybersecurity, but more towards programming than what Ben does. I am not surprised at all because I like Cybersecurity as well as programming and learning how major hacks/breaches occurred and how they could have been prevented (i.e. make sure all files are protected, change passwords frequently, revise server security protocols, etc.).
I personally agree with you, doing the actual work in this case sounds more interesting than being in the leadership position. It is definitely hard to be a leader sometimes.
DeleteInteresting insights, Kamran. I think it's a sad commentary on our work structure that people are often promoted out of the work they love, in order to gain needed income and/or benefits. My father loved teaching sixth grade, and he was good at it. He also had four children and needed to make more money. He became an assistant superintendent, working in the central office, and was never as happy at work as he had been.
DeleteI think that it is a good thing that after seeing the work of a leadership position in cybersecurity you can confirm that you in fact want to do more of the behind the scenes work like you had previously thought.
DeleteI am doing an internship at the volunteer office at the INOVA Alexandria Hospital. Every day, for half of our shift, the other interns and I will work in the Patient Transport Office on the first floor. As indicated by the name, the duties of the employees there mainly include moving patients to different parts of the hospital where they are needed. This includes taking the patients to different departments, such as Radiology or the MRI room. I cannot say I have really gotten to know any of the employees there very well, but they seem to enjoy their job.
ReplyDeleteDamien is one of the dispatchers in the Patient Transport Office He has made a good effort in my opinion to help us interns feel included in the work. So far, he has kept us from doing anything more complicated than discharges, but even so, we still end up doing up to five or six of these in a day. The rest of the people in the office all seem like they are a very tight-knit group. They often share stories about work but are always quick to get on duty if they are needed. In all honesty, I don't think that this is a career that I see in my future, but I still find the office's aura of solidarity encouraging.
That understanding that you enjoy a climate of solidarity at work is important, Kiran. Not every workplace has that, and it sounds as though it is something you would want in a permanent job. Is this transport office job a stepping stone to something else in the hospital, or do people like Damien tend to stay on as long-term employees?
DeleteIt's a unique experience to see that kind of camaraderie in the workplace, especially as an intern, and you seem to be maximizing what you're getting out of this internship, even if the career path is not what you plan to pursue in the future which is great.
DeleteI'm glad you're feeling like a part of the team, I think it can be hard at our age to really feel at home in a work environment. I'm glad Damien has also kept you busy! Your internship sounds fascinating, I would love to move around a hospital all day.
DeleteWow this looks very nice!
DeleteMy internship is at an ecology lab at George Washington University. The lab consists of a variety of grad students and undergrads working under the professor (my mentor) on projects related to marsh plants, ecosystems, and changes. My jobs include more mundane lab tasks such as sorting plant material to aid data collection for these projects as well as more interesting expeditions to the field to actually check up on the projects and learn about the ecosystem.
ReplyDeleteOne job at the lab that I didn't even realize existed before getting started is the lab technician. Her job is essentially to keep the lab running smoothly. She doesn't have any projects of her own but instead helps out with everyone else's projects. Additionally, she knows everyones schedules to help facilitate the movements of different equipment and vehicles to avoid conflicts. Recently, since my mentor (the professor) was away for a week and then got Covid, she has had to take on even more responsibility regarding the day-to-day management of the lab. She seems to enjoy the job but I definitely think she sees it as a relatively short term position. In fact, I think this is just the nature of her position. I've come to learn that most lab technicians (in a university lab) usually hold that job as a way to get experience prior to potentially starting their own research in the lab.
While I could see myself holding this position or one like it at some point in my future, I think that like the lab technician where I am interning, I would not see it as a longterm position. I think it would be a great way to get experience in a field and learn key organizational, technical, and leadership skills but that ultimately I wouldn't be satisfied feeling like I was simply serving others in the lab. Furthermore, I think my opinion about whether or not I would be satisfied with the position of lab technician would vary greatly depending on the field it was in. If I was working with subjects I was super interested, the position could be more worthwhile to me.
I think you've made an important distinction, Harriet, and come to a conclusion that many adults have reached. It's sometimes wise and worthwhile to take a "lower level" job as a way to hone the practical and interpersonal skills that will enable you to obtain the job you really want.
DeleteI think having experience with more of an entry- level position is a great way to learn about the work environment! You will be able to see what goes on behind the scenes and how the lab functions from a different perspective.
DeleteMy time with Dr.Egenreider and the Virginia Thinkabit lab has been very engaging. So far Dr.Egenreider has assigned me to write an informational paper on Biomedical Engineering to submit to the Washington Academy of Science. Also , We are partnering with the DCPS interns to also work on similar projects. Currently I've been working with Dr.Egenreider to help with directing the younger student groups with their coding project similar to what the Prime students did on Friday.
ReplyDeleteMy day to day tasks as an intern involve arriving at the lab early morning and seeing what assignments Jim has for any of the interns. If there are no assignments the interns usually go to one of the rooms and work together or separately on their personal projects. Dr.Jim usually has meetings to attend or is working on his own personal assignments so we reach out to him when needed. Then around lunch the interns all go to lunch together and leave by 5:00pm. I can see the Dr.Jim likes his job a lot and that it allows him to connect with many different people; His line of work is something I would enjoy temporarily but the impact he is made on so many communities with what he does is something I would want to continue; In-fact I would like to continue working at the lab even after the Prime internship because of the people I have been able to meet and the work environment and resources.
Like mentioned Dr.Jim's job is much more than being a professor and this lab has shown me that. When i speak to him personally and hear about all the organizations he is connected to and the people he knows it is something I strive to similarly have. This career path as someone in the engineering field or even just working in Tech is something I see myself in very comfortably the work place is exactly what I would like the people are just as innovative as me so it allows for lots of collaboration. This has internship opened my eyes more to the tech field and I am very appreciative of it !
I think it's interesting, Yabsera, (and I hope you heard yourself say it too) that you value doing work that has an impact on others. That's important to keep in mind as you move ahead. I have not doubt that you will develop the skills you need to pursue a variety of careers, but it's important not to lose track of the less-obvious things you value.
DeleteUnfortunately, I had to go another week without being able to work at my internship; therefore, I cannot comment on the day-to-day activities of a coworker. However, I did get to do research about a specific topic in my field, and I learned a lot of new information. My research did strengthen my interest in the medical field, but I am still unsure of what position I would see myself in.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading your reactions to these questions when you finally start work Sanah!
DeleteMy internship is at Sibley Memorial Hospital and my day-to-day tasks include taking over a secretary, shadowing nurses, restocking medical supplies, talking to doctors, etc.
DeleteA person at my job is Shannon, who is a registered nurse and frequently the charge nurse. Her day-to-day tasks include checking up on her assigned patients, talking to doctors, rounding, managing admissions and discharges, and making sure the patient room floor is running smoothly. Since there is a nursing shortage, she often steps in to help other nurses with their patients. Although it frequently seems like Shannon is exhausted, I can tell she enjoys being a nurse. I can tell she has a passion for helping people because she jumps in immediately to help another fellow nurse out. This quality is obviously intrinsic to the job because the long hours and heavy workload would not be worth it without it.
I see myself being satisfied as a nurse because I have the same passion as Shannon to help others. I am willing to work long shifts with a heavy workload if that means others are taken care of. However, this internship did confirm that I would be more satisfied as a physician/attending.
My instructor is Dr. Egenrieder. I didn't read this in time to get his explanation of his official title, but he does so many things I don't think it's just one title. He usually sits at his standing desk setup and just works. When he talks about the projects he's doing or shares one with me, it's very centered around education. With this it makes sense that I detect his motivation to be coming from others, specifically those that consume the information he puts out.
ReplyDeleteHe usually does meetings, presentations, designs and research compilations. I've seen him in all of these except designs. I could see myself doing such a job. It's pretty busy, but there are plenty of people around if it gets too much. I'm not gonna psychoanylize my own words, though.
In the brief time I've known you, Kenny, I can tell you enjoy being busy with a variety of tasks. A setting like Thinkabit might work for you!
DeleteI am working at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce for my internship. So far I have spent my time doing various projects, including doing research on prospective members, organizing and updating databases, researching existing members, and attending events such as the chamber-sponsored Breakfast Connection. All of these tasks help make my mentor's job easier while also progressing the work that the membership department does.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor at my internship site is Mike Rosenow, and he works as Director of Membership at the Chamber. His work is similar to what I do, meaning he spends a lot of time compiling Excel sheets with lists of information for prospective and existing members. He also spends a lot of time meeting with members via zoom, and attends many of the networking and educational events that the Chamber hosts. From my perspective, I do think that Mike enjoys his job, especially as he is the longest tenured employee at the Chamber. With that said, while it does seem like he enjoys taking the time to make connections with members, it seems to me that most of his satisfaction comes from his co-workers and overall environment.
Having seen how the Chamber operates and all of the work that Mike does, I don't think I could see myself doing this work in the future. For me, the work is simply too stagnant, and I don't see myself having an office job with relatively monotonous tasks. While I do enjoy taking part in the business end of things, most of the work lacks creativity and innovation, and for me that's something I really value. In short, I want to work somewhere where I can constantly move around, always be a problem solver, and complete work that is both fulfilling and evolving. To me, the Chamber doesn't really fit that.
I think it's really good that you know what you value in a job for the future and that you can see that repetitiveness and noncreative work isn't right for you.
DeleteThese are good insights, Kyle. Have you learned any techniques, etc. that you might apply to a business of your own?
DeleteThat sounds like an interesting internship. Even if you found out it's not the job for you, you still got a good experience and learned a lot.
DeleteIt's nice how this internship has shown you what works for you and what doesn't.
DeleteI am working at Stantec, an engineering and architectural services company. My mentor is David Antol, a design professional who works full time in-person there. Mr. Antol mainly works on individual projects for clients and group projects with other colleagues. From what I’ve observed, he spends a lot of time in meetings collaborating with other colleagues and clients over projects he is working on. I know that one of the projects he is working on right now is a new amphitheater for a community in Washington DC. I feel like he is satisfied with his job at the moment and is always energetic and positive. He likes to chat and joke around with other colleagues and check up on people. I think that being able to work with others often on group projects and events makes the job much more fulfilling to him.
ReplyDeleteI’m mixed on whether I see myself doing this as a career, but am leaning towards no. I like the workplace environment and day to day basis of the internship but the work itself doesn’t necessarily match my values. I am not that creative and I’ve had difficulty coming up with plans and ideas during my projects. Parts of the work like planning out budgets and analyzing benefits and constraints is interesting but the designing and creating part itself tends to be difficult for me. I like the workplace environment but I can see myself doing a different job in the future.
You have already learned some important things about yourself, Finn. Is there a job that might take place in a similar environment but meet your innate skills better? Your description almost sounds like you would enjoy something in the financial/ risk analysis field.
DeleteDo you think that you may want to work as an accountant or financial advisor to an engineering firm rather than an engineer?
DeleteSomething relating to finance and analysis has definitely seemed interesting to me as a career.
DeleteFor my internship with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, I help manage databases, organize the office space and filing systems, assemble and send out mailings, help my mentor prepare for events, and sort out certain financial records. This week, one of my tasks included outlining potential price estimates for a staff outing to help my superiors pick out the best deal. I also attended the Chamber's monthly Breakfast Connection, where I was able to connect with local business owners and meet our Superintendent. I enjoyed this experience because it was a good opportunity to practice networking and gain confidence in a business environment.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor's name is Elizabeth Addington, and she is Operations Manager at the Chamber. Her tasks include those of my own which I stated above, in addition to all of the complexities of those tasks and managing every step of their processes. She is also responsible for being the point of contact for the businesses and making sure that all events and the office operations go smoothly. I think Elizabeth is satisfied with her work and enjoys many parts of her job, like its social nature, attending chamber events, and being surrounded by her coworkers. However, she studied art history for her bachelors and art management for her masters, and I think she would like to move into the art collecting/management field if the opportunity arose.
I don't see myself doing work like this in the future, but I appreciate how this internship is allowing me to participate in a business environment. The Chamber office environment is very welcoming and is helping me gain a confidence that will help me with future professional settings, such as in job interviews and my future career. With that being said, in my career I hope to have more autonomy than this job would give me. I also hope my future career would allow for travel, for more variety from day to day, and for more opportunities for creativity and critical thinking.
You have some good insights into what type of work environment would be fulfilling for you, Clara. Have you identified any careers that might fit into this structure?
DeleteIt's great to hear that you are optimistic about what you are taking away from this internship even if the career path may not apply as much.
DeleteIt's interesting comparing your experience with Kyle's, but overall you guys both came to the conclusion that the job was to repetitive.
DeleteSo far at my internship I have gone around to many different departments at Virginia Hospital Center and shadow different nurses within those departments. I have so far been in the Emergency Department, the Out Patient Infusion Center, the Short Stay Unit and Hemodialysis. When I am shadowing the nurses I typically interact with the patients and help the nurses with whatever I can as well as learn about what they do on a daily basis. One adult at my internship is named Molly, and she is a clinical nurse at VHC with the titles of RN, BSN, CEFM and OCN. On a daily basis she is a nurse within the OPIC and she does any sort of infusion that you can think of, from blood transfusions to chemotherapy. She seems to have a high level of satisfaction within her job because all of the workers in the OPIC are incredibly skilled at their jobs and genuinely great people from what I have observed. The patients also love the staff in the OPIC which makes the nurses' day even better. She also is an amazing person and always seems to look at the best part of every situation and person and focus on that, which I am sure makes her and her patients more happy and satisfied at the hospital.
ReplyDeleteI could 100% imagine myself liking the job that Molly has and could see myself doing it as a career for a long time and feeling satisfied with my choice. I think this because I want to have a job where I know that I am helping people and where I love my job, which most people in the OPIC seem to have in common. I think that I could do this job in another place other than VHC however I do really love the environment at VHC. I would just have to like the place that I was living and the people that I was working with to be able to justify my choice of work at another place other than VHC. There isn't really any other type of business besides being a private practice that would make the job different, but I would definitely still do it if it was private practice as you would still have a relationship with the other staff and patients.
Your internship sounds like it's going really well! It's awesome that you could see yourself at this job in the future.
DeleteIt's great that you and the staff at your internship are so connected to each other and the patients. i hope everything continues going well.
DeleteYou have identified an important aspect of the work environment that is critical to your job satisfaction, Madison. I'm confident that you will find a career that includes this aspect.
DeleteMy internship is at Arlington Department of Technology services and my current mentor/boss is Jonathan Manley. He is the chief projects manager of the county, but his main operations have to do more so with the business side of IT. So far my experience with Mr. Manley has been amazing, as he is very passionate about his job and is exceptional at what he does.
ReplyDeleteAs i have experienced more of this field, I do not believe that it is the right fit for me. Mr. Manleys operations are very vital to the company and are definitely interesting, however I share more passion creating new things and solving problems through technology. Even if this job was offered at a higher wage or in a more convenient location, I do not believe that I would accept it.
You've learned some important things about yourself and the work world, Bilguun. The IT field has many "moving parts," and it's vital to be certain that you end up in the part that will make you happy and use your talents.
DeleteYour instructor sounds pretty amazing considering he's passionate about his job.
DeleteWhat fields in particular are you interested in?
DeleteMy internship is at a private law firm in Arlington. I am tasked with writing emails, calling clients, and talking to other attorneys -- mostly prosecutors working against the client my mentor is defending. I was supposed to go to court with my mentor this morning, but it seems he forgot to meet me at the office and bring me with him. Hopefully in the future watching court will be part of my task list.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor is James DeVita. He is the only one in the office and therefore the only one I observe. He spends most mornings in court, defending his clients. When he gets back to the office -- normally sometime after noon, he spends the rest of his day making calls to clients or meeting with them in the office and filing lots of paperwork. He doesn't really seem to enjoy his job, it feels as if he is more in it for the money. Often times when he is explaining a new case to me he says something about not enjoying the type of law the case involves and how his clients never want to pay him. This also may be due to the fact he is older, it seems as though he is ready to retire.
I am not completely sure if I could see myself working at this SPECIFIC job. Mr. DeVita has a relatively negative outlook on being an attorney, so I'm trying not to let it cloud my own judgement. I really enjoy hearing client cases and interacting with them, but if I were to pursue this career path I would probably look for something more focused on criminal law. My answer would probably be different if I was interning for a different mentor.
I'm sorry you weren't able to go to court with your mentor. Hopefully you can soon.
DeleteThis is interesting, Gretchen. I'm sorry you are not working with someone who is enthusiastic about his career. I hope you are able to go to court soon; when you do, pay attention to the other lawyers - and the judges - and see whether you can gauge their level of job satisfacion.
DeleteMy internship is at a private practice for Pediatric Physiatry, called Reach Pediatric Rehab. I observe patient interactions and ask questions to learn more about the field. Some of my tasks include arranging folders or packets to mail out, and cleaning up the office after patients. One way I can help out is to entertain a child during the appointments when they get distracted.
ReplyDeleteMy mentors name is Kelly Pham, she is the owner of Reach Pediatric Rehab. Her day-to-day work includes meeting with patients, writing emails, reading medical records, and researching. A helper, named Hazel schedules patient visits, but Kelly still has a lot of organizing left to do. She loves her job, but since the practice is still so new, she's looking for more patients. I think that her satisfaction comes from her ability to spend so much time with patients. She really values helping families through treatments and educating them on their child's issue.
I do not think I could see myself having this specific career, but I do think I would enjoy something similar. I think I would be more interested in going into a broader area of medicine such as pediatrics, where I would see general patients. With that aside, I do enjoy my internship, and it has strengthened my interest in the medical field. If this job was located somewhere different and was at a more-developed business, I do think my answer would change. It would be easier for me to get the full picture of Pediatric Physiatry if the practice had existed for longer (had more patients & co-workers).
You taught me a new word, Anna! I had never heard of physiatry and had to look it up. I would think that pediatric physiatry is a relatively new field, with rather a niche clientele. I think you've gained some important insights about your preferences in work environment.
DeleteIt is really cool how you have learned about a whole new part of the medical field.
DeleteI am interning at the Cowen Design Group and working on a project to survey the trees at the major Arlington high schools and then make proposals to each school on how they could improve their tree situation. Mostly I have been going to the high schools to catalog every tree on the property and collect data about each tree. This week we have started putting the data into a GIS program called iTree that gives you a monetary value for each tree.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor's name is Alisa Cowen and she is the head of the Cowen Design Group. Day to day she makes sure that all the projects her group is working on continue to move forward. She also works with clients to improve proposals and suit their needs. Her group does a lot of work internationally so she also has to figure out how to do things in other countries. For example some of her team is traveling to Malawi and they don't accept American credit cards and they only accept cash form certain years. So she has to work with the embassy to figure out how to pay for things. She seems to really love her job. I think the main reason is that she runs her own company and gets to decide how things are done. She also likes working with other people and her company is based on teamwork and collaboration.
I could see myself doing something similar to this. I really like working in the field and not sitting in an office all day. The days when we put data into iTree are less fun (I am currently taking a break from that right now). However I recognize that it is a key part of the work that I am doing. I think that this has been a really interesting and informative experience that has shown me that I really prefer field work to working in an office.
This is an important insight, Aden. I'm glad you also recognize that there are mundane aspects to all jobs; sometimes the "boring" things are the things that make certain the fun work actually gets carried out!
DeleteMs. Cowen is my mentor for my internship, but her position extends far beyond this project. She seems to be doing this as more of a thing on the side where she allows me and my coworkers to have a lot of freedom and direction. In terms of her own main ventures, we were able to get a glimpse of this on the first day. She owns her own civil engineering firm, Cowen Design Group, and I was very fascinated by how global it is. Her main client is the US government, leading to a lot of privacy in her work, but also widespread in terms of what tasks they are given. They have done work in more than 60 countries, highlighted by a pinned map in her office space.
ReplyDeleteMore specifically relating to Ms. Cowen, she seems to have created a very relaxed work environment. The office space is fun and has plenty of spots dedicated to relaxation or rest. She has adopted a "get the work done at some point" policy, which challenged my pre-conceieved beliefs about any sort of government work being up tight and strict. I could certainly see myself working at a company like hers. I love the idea of working globally for many reasons: getting to travel, broadening perspective, and most importantly maximizing impact. Ms. Cowen seems to share these ideals and thus seems quite satisfied with her work. Civil engineering is also a field that interests me, especially in the realm of urban planning, which has made this internship and our trip to ESRI of high value for me.
Rajan, I think you have more or less distilled the essence of Ms. Cowen's work ethic. Not everyone thrives in such a relaxed environment, but if you think you would, it's important to identify that once you start a serious career search.
DeleteMy internship is a complicated one, as I have a few different pieces involved. I have thus far been working with the FCPD, who have been incredibly welcoming. We have gone on a few field trips, as well as doing work in the office. I've been tasked with getting to know all the new policy updates. The field trips have been wonderful, we have gone to visit a few current crime scenes, gotten to shoot down at the police gun range, and visited the Law Enforcement Museum.
ReplyDeleteThe main two people I have interacted with through my internship is the media coordinator, Clair, and Chief Gavin. Chief Gavin is the head of the police department in Falls Church, the very top of the chain of command. As she is a commanding officer, she no longer spends the majority of her time out in the field. Instead, she spends most of her time running the agency as a whole. It is her job to keep make sure the different departments can operate effectively together. She is the main face of the police department, and she is very well liked by the community. She was a police officer in Arlington before Falls Church, and has lots of contacts in the surrounding counties.
I have never wanted to be a police officer, and despite how much I have enjoyed my time at the FCPD my opinion on that has not changed. However, if I were to be one I would want to do it here. The people are tight nit, and are very friendly. The work environment is positive, and everyone I have meet so far seems to love what they do. This experience has definitely encouraged me to work alongside the police, if not as an officer directly.
I think it is wonderful - and slightly amazing - that you are getting such an in-depth look at the police department, Madeline. If you pursue your interest in forensic, I'm sure you'll be working closely with the police in many situtations.
DeleteSomeone at my workplace who is not my mentor named Bov is a mechanical engineer. Throughout the day he is training and repairing robots which are put in the machines that the company I work for produces. He also does quality control on the robots to make sure they don't break when sent to customers. He seems very tired throughout the day as he puts himself through a lot of work and doesn't sleep a lot as a result of that. I think the reason he puts himself through the difficult job is because of all the people he knows at the office. I could not see myself doing exactly the job he has, but maybe a job as a software engineer at the same company.
ReplyDeleteYour co-worker sounds like an excellent example of the important of work-life balance, Maxwell. Could he do his job without working himself to a frazzle?
DeleteMy internship is at the Arlington Department of Technical Services, where my mentor is Matt Adkins. He serves as the building's network engineer. As a network engineer, my mentor tackles countless tasks that lie ahead of him throughout the day. My mentor is mainly tasked with maintaining computer networks, including mainframes, VPNs, routers, and other physical hardware, as well as installing and configuring new network equipment throughout the entire country. The level of satisfaction my mentor seems to derive from this job is quite high, as he is very passionate about everything he does. He takes great pride in being a network engineer, where he can serve the Arlington County government and help better improve our county. Additionally, the kind and friendly nature of his co-workers also seems to contribute to his level of satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteDue to the amount of hands-on work my mentor does on a day-to-day basis, I do not believe that this is something that I'm interested in doing in the future. Although this job is not something I do not intend on doing in the future, I still find it interesting to observe and also partake in. Personally, I'm leaning towards a less hands-on field and something more online and technical, such as software development or cybersecurity.
In my opinion, your internship sounds pretty technical from the tasks your mentor works on.
DeleteI'm curious, Esam, about your definition of "hands on." In order to develop software, don't you have to do hands-on testing?
Deletewow your job seems so interesting nice!
DeleteI intern at the school and community relations department. One of the mentors I work with at the department is Dulce Carillo, who works as a Supervisor of Public Engagement. Some day-to-day tasks she works on include overseeing projects in our department, informing families of any upcoming events, and creating goals for our department and community. Overall, she seems quite content with her job. I believe it comes from her ability to communicate well with co-workers and how she maintains strong relationships with others for mutual benefit.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can't see myself doing this job. It takes great effort to be under such a title. One of the things I’ve noticed when working with my mentor was her packed calendar. Almost each day had an important matter to attend to, which I most certainly could not handle. I don't believe I could hold the position, even if the community were smaller than Arlington's.
Since you're not interested in pursuing this sort of career in the future, which fields interest you at the moment?
DeleteI would echo Esam's question, Samuel. Is it the tasks you are not fond of, or the fast pace? Would you enjoy the tasks if they didn't come at you so "fast and furious"?
DeleteI intern at Summit Engineers, and to this point most of my tasks have dealt with updating the Electrical Schedules with the loads of different lights being added to projects.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor is Jeff Delo, who's one of the co-owners of Summit Engineers and the head of the electrical engineering portion. All of his day to day tasks are either working on specific projects, or taking on a leading role, and making sure everything runs smoothly. He also has a lot of meetings throughout the day to coordinate specific details about the different projects that we are currently working on. Overall I think he's definitely satisfied with his job, when we talked he said he found it fun looking at different building throughout Arlington that he's worked on.
Overall I can see myself in this field. It's not a job I absolutely adore, but I find engineering interesting and I really enjoy the work culture. it's a very math intensive job, but I think that if I worked hard and stayed diligent I could definitely work in this field.
These are good insights, AJ. Which do you think is more important - math ability or the ability to work well in a supervisory capacity?
DeleteI think for this job specifically probably the math ability. Everyone else in the office knows all of the electrical formulas and equations like the back of their hand.
DeleteI intern at the Clerk's office and someone that has helped me a lot during my work who helped me a lot is Laura. Laura is one of the supervisors at the clerk's office and when Brian (my mentor) isn't here or extremely busy I always ask her what am I going to do for that day etc. Some things I observe her do is that she's the post court manger which means if someone has any problems after coming back from court she's handle's any problems that happen during court and make sure everything is entered correctly in the system as well. Since she's one of the mangers she does have some meetings from time to time also since the clerk's are doing interviews she's also interviews future candidate's as well. During the day there is about 10 clerks working in the office having different things during the day some have courts if not they are filing, preparing there dockets for court, front desk or on phones so there is a lot of things that need to be done during the day.
ReplyDeleteI can see myself working here in the future the work is easy to do but the the volume can depend day to day. I can also see myself working here in the future because the people that work there I get along with and seem to be cool people so I can rely on them to help me if needed. If I was in a different city I can maybe see myself doing this job but it depends.
Working with the public presents challenges in and of itself, as you have learned Aron. Sometimes things can "slide" among co-workers with no problem, but members of the public - especially people who are stressed - are likely to be less forgiving.
DeleteMy mentor is Jim Shreeves he is a software engineer and his main day to day activities are usually starting off with a meeting and then we work on problems and/or improve already in place software to make it better. He is also tasked with conducting interviews on people who would like to work in the same field as him. I spend a lot of time shadowing him and asking questions. I personally don't think he is satisfied with his job based off of how he reacts to new information on the job.
ReplyDeleteI personally am not sure if I want to do this in the future. There are parts that I want to do but also I find a lot of things I don't want to do. For example I don't think I can sit in online meetings for hours on end because I just don't have the attention span for that. What I did enjoy was writing code in the console and watching that effect how things work . I think if I worked somewhere else I wouldn't have enjoyed it that much because I really enjoyed my time here and I loved the work environment.
Do you think that you could find a job that incorporates the tasks you like, Brandon, but relies less on meetings? Or is that an intrinsic part of the field?
DeleteFinding another job that takes the enjoyable aspects of this job and combining it with something more enjoyable for you is a good idea.
DeleteDr. Mallory Williams is a general surgeon at Howard University Hospital. Throughout his day, he attends meetings with other doctors and residents discussing patient cases, especially those which concern mortality. This topic is very important as a hospital exists to serve its community, to limit instances such as those, so these meetings bring up improvements that can be made to ensure that the hospital is serving its purpose. Dr. Williams also hosts presentations as one of the senior doctors at the hospital, encouraging other residents and doctors to work hard and exhibit the best qualities of leaders. All of this pairs along with the time he spends in the OR and ER actually caring for the patients that come in. Dr. Williams is very passionate about serving his fellow community; he is very satisfied with all that he does. In fact, if he could physically do more for those around him, I am sure he would.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that I could be satisfied with a career like Dr. Williams', though maybe not the exact same one. Being in the Emergency Department and Operating Room with a job like his, you come in to work every day knowing anything and everything can happen, and you will just have to think on the spot on how to deal with it. I would not want to deal with that level of uncertainty every day, but what I would want is to serve my community as much as Dr. Williams does. My community has already blessed me with so much, and I need to use these blessings to give back as much as I can no matter where I am in my life.
These are good insights, Moses. Which hospital department do you think might let you serve your community, but with less uncertainty? Or would you prefer to work outside a hospital setting - perhaps in private practice?
DeleteI decided to write about the only other person who is in office with me other than my mentor. That would be Fernando Rivera, Fernando is a 23 year old apprentice and I honestly didn't know he would be there during my internship but he has been so informative. Every morning he usually is the one calling and breakfast and going out to pick up the food. After this he begins working on any work he can, on our work site that differs from day-to-day whether it be painting shoes, painting basketballs, doing a mural, prepping shoes or preparing shoes to be sent away to their customers. I see a high level of satisfaction from Fernando, it's really been interesting watching him work especially because like me he is still learning how the art World works. Fernando is a very knowledgeable person, so he can sometimes make mistakes he quickly learns from them and doesn't let them discourage him, I think his high level of satisfaction comes from the fact that he looks out on the world so positively and he always sees where he himself can make change to better himself and his career.
ReplyDeleteI think I could see myself doing a similar career, in fact during my internship I did a lot of the same things that he did and I felt really comfortable and I got a high level of satisfaction from completing a project.
Excellent, Sidney. I think it was good that there was someone closer to your own age working with you, so that you could see how the dynamics of art apprenticeship work from a bit of a remove.
ReplyDelete